Winnebago Co. Sheriff urges safe driving as students return to the classroom

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, nearly 16% of fatal crashes in the state involve pedestrians.

With summer almost in the rearview mirror, Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana is urging drivers and pedestrians to take precautions to avoid back-to-school injuries. Caruana asks drivers not to go around school buses, and says they should always make eye contact with a person crossing a street. for pedestrians.

“Make eye contact as much as they can with the driver, and the driver, my suggestion is try to make eye contact with the child. However, you do that, with the lights, with signals, with the horn. Whatever audible, visual that you can so they see you,” he told 23 News.

Caruana asks students to not run out in front of a parked school bus and always adopt the left right left method before crossing.

“Never go around [a school bus] it’s a state law, never go around the bus when that stop signs out. It’s an automatic suspension in the state of Illinois if you do get a ticket for it. It’s very very critical. For the children, don’t get behind that bus and make sure that they’re not congregating around that bus, stay a little away from the bus,” he said.

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